Dreary Day Activities

Friday, February 16, 2018

It's that time of the week again—time to celebrate! (I love celebrations, don't you?)

So, what are we celebrating?

Anything. . .everything! Every week, things happen which put a smile on our faces. Although some are hard to forget, others are more passing moments. But it's these small things in life which can make all the difference.

This week, I'm celebrating. . .1) Bald eagles! Yesterday while feeding cows, there were two bald eagles darting between the tops of the trees. They were calling to each other, flying up and landing a few tree tops further away. I simply enjoyed watching them for a few minutes.2) Valentine's Day crafting! Not me. My kids. There was a Valentine box competition at school and especially my youngest went all out. She found a video on youtube and made her own version with tons of pink puffiness, hearts and glitter. She's only 10, so it was quite the project for her. But that girl was determined. Unfortunately, she didn't win (the judges came when the kids weren't there so she couldn't show them what it did). But she didn't mind and was all smiles that she'd simply accomplished something like this.

What about you? What put a smile on your face this last week? Getting some hints of Spring? Eat some chocolate? (You don't need Valentine's Day to do this. . .trust me. I'm a pro) Find a pair of rubber boots on sale?

Friday, February 2, 2018

It's that time of the week again—time to celebrate! (I love celebrations, don't you?)

So, what are we celebrating?

Anything. . .everything! Every week, things happen which put a smile on our faces. Although some are hard to forget, others are more passing moments. But it's these small things in life which can make all the difference.

1) A surprise visit from my daughter! She decided to come home yesterday evening out of the blue. Although she's only 1 1/2 hours away at college, we don't see her very often. So we enjoyed it.

2) Eggs! My chickens have been on a laying pause for several months, but this week, they graced me with 4 eggs. Keep it up, gals!

3) Writing! I had a short out to a beta this week, a synopsis out for extra eyes, and will have a couple things out of the door soon. Out. . .out. . .out. See how long we can keep this momentum going before it slowly runs out of steam. An energy drink for writing would be great. . .and no, I don't mean coffee.

4) Heading off into a new chapter of life! We had some sad but not unexpected news in my hub's job area ... *cough* company bankruptcy... but we're using it as a signal to go ahead and hack another thing off of his life's bucket list. Like many little boys, he's always secretly wanted to drive a big, awesome semi truck around and experience life on the road. So that's what it is! He starts training next week. He's a bit nervous and unsure, although a little excited too. I can't blame him. It's a pretty big jump from a doctor's degree in nuclear engineering and management to trucking. And being an odd German with an 'impossible to miss' accent, he'll definitely stick-out.
He's considering blogging/vlogging his adventures, which knowing my husband, will include quite a different twist on things. . . but isn't that always the case with engineers?

Anyway, that wraps up our week.

What about you? What put a smile on your face this last week? Dip your toes in a lake or stream or puddle? Go ice skating? Take a bite of the most fantastically greasy and unhealthy hamburger ever?

Friday, January 26, 2018

It's that time of the week again—time to celebrate! (I love celebrations, don't you?)

So, what are we celebrating?

Anything. . .everything! Every week, things happen which put a smile on our faces. Although some are hard to forget, others are more passing moments. But it's these small things in life which can make all the difference.

1) Creamy lemon chicken! My kids wanted lemon chicken for dinner, so I did a quick Google search (the biggest, grandest cookbook in the world) and discovered a recipe that was oh-so-good! Luckily, I made extras and my husband was even taking it along to work for lunch. The sauce is calorie packed but definitely worth every bite. https://www.recipetineats.com/creamy-lemon-chicken/

2) A slap across the face! ....Whoa! How is that something to celebrate??? (See, I know what you're thinking.) This is more a celebration of my kids' wonderful, zany and never dying sense of humor. My uncles had it. . .my brothers have it. . .and I'm so glad to see that my kids have it to. To stay humorous is a valuable tool in life. Anyway, my oldest son has been on this weight-lifting, mass-gaining kick for years and eats two meals of rice and chicken every day on top of the regular meals (this is boot camp boy). Last night. . .while cooking up his chicken breasts. . .he suddenly turned around and slapped me across the face with a raw chicken breast. I was dumbfounded. Completely. Utterly. But after that evening. . .and this sounds crazy. . .it was exactly the kind of stupidity I needed. After I cleaned up chicken slime from my cheek, that is.

I mean, who does that???

3) Editing done and a short story off to a beta! I love the freeing feeling of sending those out that door.

So, what put a smile on your face this last week?

Hear a song you haven't heard in years? Discover a new cafe? Get a longer break than you expected at work?

Friday, January 19, 2018

What exactly does this celebrate?Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

Due to lack of time, I've decided to no long co-host with L.G.. I will still be here and hopping around, but I found it harder and harder to really visit everyone during the weekends and post constantly. IF anyone is interested in taking my place, I'm sure L.G. would love the help, so please let her know if you're interested!

This week was cold and has left me celebrating. . .

1) Snow! We actually got snow. An entire 1 1/2 inches *gasp*! I grew up in the Denver area, so this is more of a light dusting, in my opinion. But here, in the Ozarks, it was enough to cancel school for 4 days. They have a huge fear of ice here. . .as in overly gigantic fear. . .but the kids loved the free time.

2) Smoked ribs! We gave my husband a smoker for Christmas, and he finally gave it a try. We made 6 pounds of spare ribs and oh, they were good!

3) Hugs! Especially those from my kids. The cold weather has made them cuddlier than usual. And I've been enjoying every second.

What put a smile on your face this last week? Did you go sledding? Buy your first pair of shorts for the far-approaching summer? Find a warm pair of gloves in the bottom of your drawer?

Friday, January 12, 2018

What exactly are we celebrating?Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

Okie dokie...so, what am I celebrating this week???

1) Snow days! Honestly, they weren't 'snow' days but more 'light ice on the street mornings'. I have to smirk when school cancels here due to a little ice on the streets (I grew up in Denver where we had real snow and ice at times, and school still wasn't cancelled). Especially since the day temperatures here then reached 60 degrees. Seriously, who cancels school when it's 60 degrees outside? Anyway, the kids loved it and wished they had the entire week off. But hey, this coming Monday is a holiday too!

2) Help with wood cutting! It has been cold here (before the sudden couple days of 60), and as of today, it's cold again. I've been going through firewood like it was chocolate, which meant it was time to cut down some more trees. I'm NOT a good tree-cutter-downer. I can split, carry, stack, haul or whatever, but I have tons of fear. . .uh, respect. . .for those trees when they come crashing down. Plus, I don't think I could hold the chainsaw that long (I'm not the Hulk). So I'm again screaming THANK YOU to my brother for helping out on that end.

3) Hot tea! I love a steamy cup of tea, and I've been hovering over these like crazy lately.

That pretty much sums of this week. What about you? What put a smile on your face? Go sledding? Get a ton of writing done? Or start planning your summer vacation?

She's also got an awesome giveaway going for a couple of more days which includes $25 Amazon GC, jewelry, candles, other things and FUZZY SOCKS! I mean, who doesn't need those right now? Head on over to her website here to join in and witness all of the goodness.

Friday, January 5, 2018

What exactly are we celebrating?Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.This week, I'm celebrating. . .

1) A new family member... or pack expansion? We have the misfortune of living near a dirt road, which people from town have deemed as a good place to dump unwanted dogs. It's a big hassle. Usually. Today, however, a several month old puppy showed up at our doorstep and melted my son's heart. It's super sweet and was immediately accepted by our older dog. So, I guess we have a new member in our household until my son moves to his own apartment this coming summer.

2) New story underway! Now, that the holidays are past, things have quieted down. A little, at least. I've had time to finally sit down and plot out a manuscript I've been wanting to work on for over a year. And it's flowing better than I thought it might. Hopefully, it stays that way.

3) Chocolate! I've been munching on my Christmas gifts this week and enjoying every single bite.

What about you? What put a smile on your face this past week? Get some great after-Christmas deals? Head out with a sled and slide down some hills? Dive into a great book?

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Welcome to the 1st IWSG this year! For those of you who might not know what this is, it is an amazing group of writers (and the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh), who support each other, offer encouragement and simply meet to share thoughts and experiences. We post the first Wednesday of each month. If you'd like to learn more or join in, head on over here.

This month's question slides right down that New Year thought process. So I'll launch into that this month. (Plus, my brain is still recovering from all of that eggnog).

What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?

None! I'm not at the point where I need to schedule writing things unless I really want to. Which I don't. I'm still a free-floater and loving it. Of course, there are those writing goals filing into a snug list in my head, and I expect there will be writing deadlines as the months start sliding by, but I'll take those in stride.

I love taking life in stride.

What about you? Already scheduling away or are you going with the flow?

Bookworm for Kids Presents:

My Bookworm's Weekly Menu

Hi!

Chaotic, spontaneous, adventurous, and full of surprises. Mix it with my four kids, a small farm and tons of writing - oh and don't forget an ample amount of chocolate and a cup of jasmine tea! And you've got me.